What We Did On Our Holiday review: David Tennant leads eccentric comedy

Directors: Andy Hamilton, Guy Jenkin; Screenwriters: Andy Hamilton, Guy Jenkin; Starring: David Tennant, Rosamund Pike, Billy, Connolly, Emilia Jones, Bobby Smalldridge, Harriet Turnbull, Ben Miller; Running time: 95 mins; Certificate: 12A

Rosamund Pike is about to hit it big thanks to Gone Girl, but before that she'll be seen in What We Did On Our Holiday, an off-kilter family comedy from the creators of Outnumbered. With its story of a marriage under strain, media storm and dramatic mid-point twist, it could easily be paired up with David Fincher's thriller for a slightly eccentric double-bill.

Holiday is proof of the adage 'never judge a book by its cover'. Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin's movie is not the film its trailer makes it out to be, it's a lot more surprising and ambition than the sedate fare you'd expect based on the promos. This is a comedy that turns its clichéd premise on its head and emerges with something worthwhile.

David Tennant and Rosamund Pike play Doug and Abi, a married London couple who take their three children up to Scotland to celebrate Doug's father's 75th birthday. Billy Connolly is on fine form as granddad Gordy, a man who's experienced health problems in recent years and is more concerned with spending time with his grandkids than attending a lavish party.

There's more going on beneath the surface, though. Doug and Abi are living separately and trying to maintain the illusion they're still a happy family for Gordy's benefit. Hamilton and Jenkin mine comedy from the kids and their inability to keep up the ruse, with young actors Emilia Jones, Bobby Smalldridge and Harriet Turnbull bringing sincerity to their respective roles.

The comedy is largely hit and miss in the opening stretch of the film as the family embark on a road trip across the border, but there are some strikingly poignant moments, such as a scene where the kids watch mum and dad argue from inside the car, the pelting rain outside muting their barbed comments. As with Outnumbered, it soon becomes apparent that the adults can be just as immature as the kids.

This is a strange and unexpected comedy that turns its clichéd premise on its head and emerges with something worthwhile.

Holiday takes a dramatic shift into different territory altogether at its mid-point, and it's here that the young actors really shine. For a moment it begins to resemble '80s coming-of-age classic Stand by Me, before launching into a spoof of sensationalist rolling news coverage.

The film's wild swings in tone are both its biggest strength and weakness. Hamilton and Jenkin cram so many ideas into 95 minutes that some inevitably fail to register. Still, if you're willing to go with it and accept its more outlandish moments, then this bittersweet blend of humour and tragedy is worth your time.

3

Simon Reynolds

Movies Editor 

Simon has worked as a journalist for more than a decade, writing on staff and freelance for Hearst, Dennis, Future and Autovia titles before joining Cision in 2022.